THE ARMY ESTIMATES.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12481, 6 March 1909, Page 3

THE ARMY ESTIMATES.

EECRXJITING OF TERRITORIALS.

HOME DEFENCE.

SPEECH BY MR HALDANE.

[Fliss Association.— Copyright.] -

(Received March 5, 11.40 p.m.) ' London, March 5. Mr Haldane made a long and detailed speech in introducing the Army. Estimates in the House of Commons. He said the recruiting during the year had been singularly good, and the special reserve now numbered 70,000, equal-to the old militia. A generous tribute to the "Daily Mail" and employers of labour- in connection with the Territorials aroused violent disapprobation from the Labour benches. Mr Haldane retorted that owing to

the breakdown, of the auxiliary services £ne nation had never been nearer conscription, but the recent movement had established a 'stronger bulwark against conscription than ever before. Thirty-three thousand had been added to the Territorials in the ..last seven weeks, and the total was now 240,0001 The root idea was Imperial organisation, where it would be possible for the oversea dominions to work on a similar pattern of organisation "to our own, affording a possibility of co-operation in case of great -necessity. The last thing the Govern- - m.ent would dreapi •of would be to even suggest to the overseas'dominions what they should do. The staff colleges had been enlarged, and it was now possible to receive any overseas officers. General Sir William Nicholson, Chief of the General Staff, had completed plans for home defence, making a successful invasion even less likely than in the past. Sir Charles Dilke criticised the Germanic trend of Mr Haldane' s mind. Mr Arnold Foster -ridiculed the training of a special reserve. Mr Haldane dealt more with names -than things. He commented on the reduction of 100,000 men, yet the smaller . army cost more- than in the pre-re-form days. The reduction of £24,000 was nominal; really there was an jn- - crease of £275,000, as £300i000 was transferred to the Indian account.